


Seeing the Unseen

by elyssblair



Series: Lessons [2]
Category: Eureka
Genre: M/M, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elyssblair/pseuds/elyssblair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six months after Eureka was sold, Holly and Fargo come back for a visit. A medical emergency, an earthquake machine, and an unintentional kiss later, and Zane's life will never be the same again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sev13](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sev13), [speakingwosound (sev313)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sev313/gifts).



> A/N This story is connected to 'Object Lesson' but they each stand alone as a story. The author's suggested reading order is 'Seeing the Unseen' then 'Object Lesson'. However, if you prefer reading stories in chronological order, 'Object Lesson' is set first.
> 
> Spoilers for series, especially season 4 and 5
> 
> Also, thank you to my beta for all the help, support and hand-holding!

**Friday 3:02 p.m. — Global Dynamics, Hallway**

 

Zane glanced up from his tablet when the Sheriff fell into step next to him. The strained, unamused smile Carter wore was too familiar. It was the expression he wore whenever he couldn't quite believe it was his job to say whatever it was he was about to say. The relative calm lately had actually made Zane a little nostalgic for that smile.

"So… Dr. Brown complained that her house keeps shaking at random intervals.  She’s worried about the fate of her porcelain doll collection." The Sheriff stuck his hands in his pockets and eyed Zane expectantly. "Henry said I should talk to you."

Oh, that. Zane, exhaled with a disappointed huff.

"Yeah. Calvin is working on an eco-friendly sonic drill for mining applications. He keeps having trouble with the shut down protocols. Instead of powering down immediately, it ramps up intensity for a few seconds before shutting off. I've already told him to suspend live tests until he figures out what the problem is."

"Oh, good. For a minute I was afraid you guys were working on an earthquake machine."

"Actually…" Zane drawled out the word just to see that pained expression cross the Sheriff's face.

"C'mon," he whined. "You guys created an earthquake machine… thing?"

"No. We created a drill. Theoretically, though, it could cause a tectonic shift if used carelessly or maliciously. Which is why we have strict protocols in place."

He grinned at Carter, trying very hard to keep looking innocent as the man grumbled next to him.

"Theoretically. I hate that word," he muttered then glared at Zane. "Of course, no one in this town _ever_ ignores protocol in pursuit of science."

The sarcasm was heavy and Zane couldn't help the smirk.

"Not me. Anymore." He shrugged and laughed at Carter's disbelieving expression. "Usually. C'mon. Since Henry's taken over, you've hardly had to save the world from imminent destruction at all."

Zane swallowed against the slight tightening of his throat. Mention of GD's new director reminded him of the last one. To hide the momentary wistfulness, he pushed a little more mischief into his smile and focused on what the Sheriff was saying.

"I'd like to keep it that way. Especially with a baby due in two months."

"How is Allison doing?" He asked. The last time he’d seen her she’d been waddling and bad tempered and he’d been strategically avoiding her until she forgot that he had said that to her face.

Carter was regaling him with the joys and terrors of a pregnant wife when they reached the rotunda. Usually a hub of movement, the foot traffic had stalled to a halt with a crowd gathering excitedly around something in the middle.

A familiar laugh drifted up and Zane focused in on the figures at the center of the group. His breath stopped and he blinked to be sure he wasn't just seeing what he wanted to.

Carter leaned forward and squinted. "Is that…?"

"Fargo."

The name escaped Zane's lips whisper soft, surprise mixed with a maelstrom of other emotions. Especially when he saw the flash of red hair.

"And Holly."

Zane swallowed the hard knot in his throat and straightened quickly to hide the unexpected flush of emotion. Carter was already moving into the rotunda to wade through the crowd, though, and didn't even notice the uncharacteristic lapse. Zane took a second to steady his breath and get a grip before he followed.

He hadn't even realized that Fargo had become his best friend until after he'd left with Holly on their new super-secret job. He'd had no idea how much he'd miss the man until he couldn't reach him without jumping through paranoid DoD hoops. In his defense, Zane hadn't had a lot of friends growing up. And none who would have fit the description of 'best friend,' so he figured he deserved some slack for missing the fact until it was taken away.

Then there was the epiphany of Zane had experienced when he and Jo had been trapped in Dr. Leopold's neural-psychotherapy device. One he'd barely let himself think about or deal with in the three months since.

He'd figured he'd have plenty of notice to come to terms with his feelings before he had to face Fargo and Holly again.

He should have known better than to believe in best case scenario in a place like Eureka, where Murphy's Law was the norm.

"Zane!"

Fargo had caught sight of him and pushed through the crowd to pull him into a warm hug. Zane wrapped both arms around the thin shoulders and squeezed, tugging his friend in tight. He inhaled, deep and sharp, letting his eyes close for a heartbeat. Then he pulled back enough to look at Fargo.

"Good to see you." And it was. Better than he ever expected. "How long are you here for?"

The bright grin flattened slightly. "Just a couple of days. We have to be back in… back at work Monday morning, so we need to leave Sunday afternoon."

Zane forced his own expression to remain happy even though his heart squeezed. "Well, we can still cause a little trouble in two days. We'll just have to try harder."

His hand slipped from Fargo's shoulder to pat his bicep. He pulled his hand back quickly, though, when he felt the thin padding of the bandage under the long sleeve shirt.

"Sorry," he murmured when he saw Fargo's quick wince of pain. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah, fine. Just got a… scratch on our last miss—… assignment."

Dark eyes slid away and Fargo's lips twitched around the evasion.

Before Zane could press, someone was tugging on his arm and saying his name with a happy greeting.

Reluctantly he released Fargo and let himself be pulled into a quick affectionate hug from Holly. A second later she turned him loose to grab Henry and Zane stepped back to give the heavily pregnant Allison room to engulf the returning couple in a happy embrace.

A tap on the shoulder drew his attention and he shook the offered hand before looking up.

"Parrish?"

"Surprise." The word was flat and the sour face was pulled into its usual, disapproving frown.

"You've been working with them?" He winced as the question left his lips, the answer was obvious.

Parrish gave him that condescending smile that always made Zane grind his teeth. "Where did you think I went when I left Eureka?"

Rolling his eyes, Zane shrugged and forced a malicious smirk of his own.

"I honestly didn't even notice you were gone until Henry had me inspect the unusual morale increase in the Non-Lethal Weapons lab. I just assumed you'd vaporized yourself and didn't give it any thought after that."

"Nice," Parrish retorted blandly, his smug smile dropping into a scowl. Zane rocked back in satisfaction, letting his shoulders relax slightly.

"So where's Jo?"

Fargo's question dropped the entire crowd into sudden silence and every single eye turned toward Zane.

Sighing, he tucked his thumbs into his pockets and focused on the former Director.

"Jo's at Area 51. They offered her the Security Chief job again. Her oldest brother is assigned to a security detail there, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to boss him around. She's been gone about six weeks."

Fargo's mouth drew down into a concerned frown. "Then you guys are doing the long distant thing?"

The crowd remained silent and riveted on Zane. He ignored it and kept his answer nonchalant.

"Actually, we broke up about a month before that." A soft chitter ran through the crowd and he knew what the rumors said about him being dumped on his ass. He glared the rotunda into silence and added firmly, "It was friendly and mutual. We email or call each other every week."

"Zane, I'm sure these three would love to see the changes we've made at GD in the past six months." Henry, thankfully, stepped up and dispelled the tension. "Why don't you show them around? I've got your notes. I'll handle the call with the DoD."

"Yeah, sure." His heart hammered against his throat and he couldn't decide if it was because he was happy to spend time with Fargo. And Holly. Or if it was just torture.

#

The crowd in the rotunda took the hint and began to disperse while Fargo watched them go with a confused wrinkle between his eyebrows. Finally, he turned to Zane.

"I didn't think anyone would miss me," he said, bemused and even paler than Zane remembered.

Zane froze, for a second wanting to tell Fargo exactly how much he was missed.

Then Holly was patting his shoulder, her _boyfriend's_ shoulder, and reassuring him.

"Of course they missed you. You were the Director of GD."

 Her bubbly voice grated on Zane's nerves and his jaw clenched so tight, muscles in his back ached from the strain. It was a completely out of proportion reaction to her and he knew it but he couldn't seem to stop. To hide it, he fell back on old habits.

"Yeah, Fargo, you're practically an institution in this town." He gave the words a sardonic twist that brought to mind the number of times someone had utter 'Fargo pushed the wrong button. Again.'

Holly glared at him a little, Parrish smirked but Fargo just shrugged and smiled, used to Zane's unique brand of affection. For the first time since walking into the rotunda, Zane felt like he could breathe and ushered the group out to start the impromptu tour.

A few hundred feet done the hallway, Fargo asked, "Henry said something about talking to the DoD? I thought we… I mean you guys… weren't working for them anymore."

He pushed his glasses up his nose with one finger and Zane hated how those familiar, innocuous gestures kept catching him by surprise and making him want…

Things that he couldn't have. Story of his life.

"We're a private corporation now, but we still need to make a profit. The US government is still the best customer we've got. Henry has put a moratorium on lethal weapons research. Instead we're working on non-lethal weapons, armor and defense and humanitarian aid tech."

Fargo nodded, thoughtful and understanding as he held Zane's eyes. After everything they'd been through, they both had reasons to regret their involvement in weapons research.

"Cool! What’s this?" Holly's excited squeal reminded him they weren't alone and broke the moment.

He glanced down the hall to see that she was peering in a new, glass enclosed lab and smiled.

"That's the new botany hydroponic unit. Vincent is collaborating with a couple of the botany and agriculture people. They're working with some heirloom vegetable varieties to create a sustainable alternative to GMOs."

"Cool," she repeated. "Can we see?"

"Sure." He relaxed again and let himself enjoy showing off the changes and improvements they'd made over the past few months.

They moved from lab to lab while Zane answered questions and pointed out advances and innovations.

But he paid more attention than was probably healthy to Fargo and Holly. It didn't take him long to realize something was off. The things they said, the way they interacted, it all _sounded_ like a happy, normal relationship. Except there was an underlying woodenness in their tone. A micro-hesitation that made him wonder if they were second-guessing every word they said. They stayed close and moved almost in sync but they rarely actually touched.

What caught his attention the most was Parrish. The scientist was _too_ quiet. He hung back and there was none of the nasty snark Zane remembered between the two rivals. He didn't flirt with Holly at all. Didn't try to insert himself into the conversation or put himself over Fargo.

Part of him, the old Zane, wanted it to mean there was trouble in paradise for the couple. That maybe it meant he could find a reason to convince the former Director to stay in Eureka. With him. But the old Zane was selfish and self-centered and didn't give a damn about what other people wanted or needed. He didn't want to be that guy anymore. Especially not with one of the few people who had given him a chance to be something better.

So he forced himself to stop daydreaming and silently wished his friends well.

As they moved through the levels, Zane's concern for Fargo's relationship took a backseat to his concern for Fargo, himself. The further they went, the paler he got. Which was saying something, considering how pasty the man was to begin with. A faint sheen of sweat, out of place in the precise environmental controls of the building, grew until rivulets occasionally created a trail from his temple to his jaw. His eyes drifted close every time they paused and his body swayed a little.

Finally, Zane distracted Holly and Parrish with the new, reconstructed observatory and hung back with Fargo who leaned gratefully against the desk while he watched his girlfriend excitedly explore all the new toys Henry had installed.

#

"I'm sorry," Fargo said after a few minutes of companionable silence while they watch Holly gush over the renovated observatory. His voice was a little raspy and tired sounding but he looked at Zane with concern and compassion. "About you and Jo, I mean. I really thought you two were going to make it, _this_ time."

Startled at the unexpected words, Zane just shrugged. "Yeah, well, part of the problem was basing it on _last_ time."

Of course, there was so much more wrong between him and Jo than just the challenge of measuring their relationship to one that existed in a timeline only she remembered. Getting engaged, just when Eureka had stopped reeling from one crisis to another, had only highlighted the myriad of ways they weren't really compatible.

"What happened? What went wrong?"

Another shrug and Zane had to pull his eyes away, carefully choosing his words. He didn't want to risk sharing too much.

"We were already realizing that maybe we'd rushed into things, when we got caught up in a prototype malfunction. Dr. Leopold's virtual psychotherapy device went haywire and trapped us. By the time Carter rescued us from the unending therapy session, we'd both realized we were friends who had great sex but we both wanted something… different."

"What?" Fargo looked like he really couldn't fathom what Zane was saying. "What else could you want, when you had Jo?"

For a heartbeat, the truth hovered on his lips. The impulse to just tell Fargo the whole story and let the chips fall where they may was nearly irresistible. But that was selfish and probably self-destructive and he'd been trying to outgrow that kind of behavior.

Instead, he just pressed his lips together and shook his head.

"Okay, fine," Fargo seemed to get that it was too personal and uncomfortable for Zane to talk about. Then he smiled through the pale tension that had gripped him on the tour of GD, and he looked like that mischievous Fargo that Zane missed. "I don't suppose she finally realized it was me that she wanted all along, huh?"

Zane laughed a little and shook his head. Then he flashed on the devastated way she'd looked at Carter when he'd rescued them and sobered. It really hadn't been funny for either of them. The Sheriff had been oblivious, of course, and Jo got a hold of herself quickly enough to not give away her feelings to anyone else.

Zane had been reeling from his own life-altering realization, feeling lost and adrift and having no idea how to deal with his newfound perspective.

So they'd done the only thing they could. They'd gotten drunk and broken up with spectacular sex. And Zane had been celibate ever since.

"Sorry, no, Fargo. Besides, you have Holly."

A haunted look crossed his face when he glanced down the room where his girlfriend was excitedly cooing over the new telescope while Parrish smiled at her indulgently.

"Holly. Yeah."

Zane narrowed his eyes and glanced between the pair and Fargo. "Everything okay?"

Fargo straightened abruptly and forced a smile. "Everything is great. Just tired. Long way to Eureka from… where we were."

For a minute, he considered pressing his friend for the truth. But lines of tension and pain and exhaustion were already etched around Fargo's eyes and mouth and Zane didn't want to add to the weight of stress the man was already carrying.

Instead, he changed the subject to the next obvious topic.

"So, you like it? The work you're doing now, I mean?"

The smile eased into something a little more real. "Yeah. What we do is never boring and we get to make a difference. Working with Holly is awesome. Even Parrish isn't so bad, anymore."

Zane raised his eyebrows at that. "Parrish? Really?"

"Yeah, well, when you work together 24/7 even Isaac can only be an asshole so much of the time." He laughed and looked toward Holly and Parrish, who'd almost made it to the other end of the observatory. "We should probably catch up."

He pushed away from the desk and took a couple of quick steps then stopped abruptly.

"Uh oh."

The whisper was barely audible, little more than exhaled sounds, then Fargo's eyes rolled back and his body slumped. Zane leapt forward, grabbing his friend around the waist and shoulders, cradling his head while gently lowering him to the ground.

"Fargo! Fuck, Fargo, are you okay?"

Shallow breathing and a thready pulse were his only answer. He scrambled for his pda to call for help. Holly dropped to her knees on Fargo's other side, clutching his hand.

"Douglas. Doug. Please be okay. Please. Open your eyes."

Parrish dropped a steadying hand on her shoulder and leaned forward, her concern echoed in his eyes.

#

Allison, and her team, made it to the observatory surprisingly quickly, considering her condition and her girth.

Zane jumped to his feet to make room and helped her get down awkwardly to check over Fargo.

"What happened?"

"He collapsed. We were talking, he took a step then his eyes rolled back and he went limp. I noticed he was sweating and pale but he said he was just tired."

Allison nodded, running the scanner over Fargo and frowning at whatever it was telling her. She glanced up at Holly and Parrish, who still stood directly behind her. "Has he been exposed to anything recently? Poisons? Toxins? Chemicals?"

Holly twisted her head to look up at Parrish, who frowned back with uncertainty. The silence stretched out into an uncomfortable hum, an unspoken conversation going on between them like no one else was in the room.

Fury engulfed Zane and he growled.

"I don't know what they are hiding, but Fargo's got a bandage on his arm. Said he got a scratch on his last _assignment_." He glared at Fargo's still silent team and rasped sarcastically, "Whatever that means."

Allison efficiently cut the fabric of Fargo's sleeve to reveal the stark white bandage. Flame red welts stretched out in snake-like curves, stretching up to his shoulder and down into his forearm.

"What the hell is that?" Zane demanded.

Allison shook her head, running the scanner over the exposed skin. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it."

Holly had her teeth sunk deep into her lip, eyes darting between Allison, Fargo and Parrish, who kept opening his mouth, then closing it without saying a word.

Zane lost it. He straightened up, eyes burning into the pair and lashed out at them.

"For fuck's sake, answer her! Tell her what happened to him." His focused lasered on Holly, tears glistening in her lashes. "Don't you give a damn that your boyfriend could be dying?"

She gasped and Zane felt a twist like acid in his own chest at the thought. She swallowed hard and Parrish squeezed her shoulder, speaking softly but not trying to hide his words.

"We can contact the General. Allison's clearance is high enough and this is definitely need-to-know."

Holly jumped to her feet, hope and relief fighting in her face. "Yes. We can use the secure line in Henry's office. And she can talk to… the doctors there. They'll be able to tell her more than we could, anyway."

Allison struggled to her feet, with Zane's help, and gave orders to her team to get Fargo to the infirmary and start running a battery of tests. Then she waddled after Holly and Parrish.

For a heartbeat, Zane thought about following them, but, for the first time in longer than he could remember, curiosity took a back seat. Instead, he followed the medical team and stayed as close to Fargo as they'd let him, praying to powers he didn't believe in that the man would be all right.


	2. Part Two

**Sunday 11:07 a.m. — Global Dynamics, Section 5**

Zane woke up with his cheek pressed against the glass top of his desk. With a groan, he sat up and twisted his head from side to side to try to loosen the stiff muscles. A glance at the clock surprised him. He'd been asleep in his office for nearly eight hours.

It really shouldn't be a shock, though because the thirty-six hours before that had been non-stop chaos.

Allison had emerged from Henry's office looking shell-shocked and determined and tight-lipped about the details. Whoever she'd talked to couldn't tell her how to save Fargo, but they gave her enough information to figure out where to start looking.

The next day and a half became a twisted, manic scavenger hunt to find a cure. A repeating blur of searching, running, waiting and doing it all over again when what Allison tried didn't work.

Finally, at 3 a.m. an exhausted group waited for Allison to send them on their next round of scrambling for pieces to an ever evolving treatment. But she'd surprised them by announcing they'd finally found the solution. Fargo was on the mend and resting peacefully.

Then she shooed everyone out, allowing only Holly a brief visit and assuring everyone they'd all get a chance to see her patient in the morning. Zane hadn't had the energy or the will to go home. He'd intended to rest long enough to be sure Allison had left the infirmary then sneak in to check on Fargo himself. But he'd apparently crashed from exhaustion as soon as his butt hit the chair.

He ran a hand over his face and felt the sticky patches of dried drool and two worth days of stubble. Remembered he'd been wearing the same clothes for forty-eight hours and figured Allison probably wouldn't let him anywhere near the infirmary while he looked, and smelled, like a derelict.

Grabbing a clean change of clothes, Zane detoured through the decon showers before heading for Allison's domain. As soon as he caught sight of the infirmary's glass walls, his eyes were automatically drawn to the bed where Fargo slept. The lines of pain had eased and a little color had returned to his cheeks. The angry red welts, which had covered the majority of his body at one point, were nearly gone. Only a few pale pink streaks remained.

Zane's eyes narrowed when he saw Holly and Parrish. Her head rested on his shoulder, her eyes red. His arms cradled her gently, his lips barely moving as he whispered something against her hair.

An innocent enough embrace. Two friends comforting each other at the bedside of an ill friend. But something about it didn't look right. Something about it made Zane's gut smolder on Fargo's behalf.

Then again, it could be his own insecurities and less than chivalrous thoughts coloring his perceptions.

Forcing his expression into something akin to normal, he moved to the door and decided to withhold judgment for now. But, if either of them hurt Fargo, Zane was more than capable of making them pay for it. The man had hurt enough because of Holly, already. He deserved a happily ever after.

As soon as Zane step through the door, the couple eased out of the hug and put a couple of feet of space between. They didn't jump apart or exchange guilty glances yet something in their posture made the burn of suspicion flare a little hotter.

Zane tamped down hard on it and kept his body loose, his smile smug and a swagger in his walk when he crossed the room to stand next to Fargo's bed.

"How is he?"

"Much better," Holly answered brightly, her hand reaching out to tangle with Fargo's. Zane resisted the urge to growl and forced himself to concentrate on what else she had to say. "He woke up for a few minutes earlier and he seemed coherent. Allison said he'll be weak and easily tired for a few more days, though."

Her brow furrowed and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip, distress evident in the tense lines of her body.

"We have to leave him here, Holly. They're expecting us in…" Parrish paused and cleared his throat, eyes darting to Zane. "They're expecting us back at work first thing tomorrow. We have to leave this afternoon and he's in no shape to go with us."

"I know, it's just, it doesn't seem right not to have him with us." Holly waved her hands futilely, real tears glistening on her lashes.

"I know," Parrish patted her shoulder consolingly. "But it's for the best."

Zane’s tenuous hold on his temper snapped, the slow burn of frustration he'd been feeling bursting in an inferno of fury.

"Really, Parrish? Best for whom?" He kept his voice low and even, but anger vibrated in every syllable. "Best for Fargo? Or best for you? Bad enough you’re putting the moves on his girl while he's sick and unconscious. Now you're trying to talk her into leaving him behind?"

"I didn't, I wasn't…" Parrish held up his hands and stepped back, like he expected to have to ward off a physical attack.

Holly just looked pale and horrified as her eyes flashed from man to man.

"Hey, guys, keep it down. ’M trying to sleep here."

Fargo's faint, slurred voice broke the tension and all three of them turned to stare at the man.

He looked smaller than usual and still a shade too pale in the bland infirmary bed.

"Douglas, you’re awake." Holly tightened her hold on his hand and shifted closer. Her smile was so bright and relieved, Zane started to wonder if maybe he'd gotten it all wrong. Had selfishly wanted to believe the worst of her.

Fargo squinted at each of them and sighed before struggling to sit up. All three of them bumped into each other in an attempt to help until he slapped them all away and managed it on his own. With another deep breath, he reached for his glasses on the small table beside him.

"Could I have a few minutes alone with Holly, please?"

Zane's knee-jerk reaction was to say no. To sit on the side of his bed and protect him. He just had no idea what he'd be protecting Fargo from. Instead, he nodded and trailed Parrish out of the infirmary.

On the other side of the glass, Parrish stopped him with a hand on his arm and a glare.

"You're wrong. About what was going on in there."

"Right." Zane kept the word clipped and short, keeping his fists tight against his side, to keep from giving in to any inappropriate urges. "Sure. Because you've always had Fargo's best interest at heart."

Parrish's eyes narrowed to slits and his frown became an almost nonexistent thin line slashed across his face.

"No, Fargo and I have never been friendly. But Holly would never do anything to hurt him." Air huffed in a frustrated exhale out of Parrish's nose at Zane's unchanged posture. Instead of arguing more, he turned back to the window, face softening as he repeated in a quiet whisper, "She'd never hurt him."

The longing and resolve to keep his distance was etched deeply on Parrish's face while he watched Holly settle on Fargo's bed, cradling his hand gently between hers. Zane wonder if his own face gave away half as much.

Maybe he should beat a retreat before he found out.

"I've got work to do. I'll check on Fargo later," he announced into the strained silence and turned away before Parrish could look back at him.

The walk to his office felt like the longest of his life as he tried to figure out what the fuck was going on in his own head.

#

Two hours later, Zane stood outside the infirmary again. Downstairs, Henry and the rest were giving Holly and Parrish a tearful sendoff. Self-restraint had never been Zane's strong suit and he didn't intend to start now. He figured it was best that he stay away from the whole scene to keep from saying anything that would to get him those exasperated looks from Carter, Allison and Henry.

Fargo sat up in bed, head tipped back against the wall, hands tangled tightly in his lap, face woodenly still and pulled down into a deep frown. His eyes were open and staring upward, unfocused in a way that suggested he was lost somewhere dark in his own head.

Pasting on a smirk he wasn't particularly feeling, Zane walked into the infirmary, Cafe Diem box held out in front of him.

"OK, sickboy, I'm onto your game. Passing out in hopes of getting mouth to mouth from Allison and a get-well goody box from Vincent."

Fargo tipped his head down and blinked at Zane before a wan smile flickered across his lips.

"Yeah, well, one of the things I missed about Eureka. Almost dying at least had its perks." He made grabby gestures with his hands at the box Zane held just out of his reach. "Tell me there's some of those pear and brie tart thingies in there."

Zane grinned and handed him the box, settling into the chair next to Fargo's bed to steal his share of the treats Vincent had packed.

A relaxed mood strung out between them while they ate the goodies, each teasingly grabbing for the favorites. Slowly though, the quiet shifted, something serious filling it. Fargo fiddled with the mini strawberry mascarpone tart in his hand.

"What you saw earlier, with Holly and Isaac. It wasn't what you thought." Fargo glanced up at Zane, eyes half-hidden under his lashes before focusing intently on the pastry in his hand.

There was a soft pain and resignation in the words and Zane wanted to rip into something. Wanted to protect his friend from the hurt he was feeling.

Instead he twisted his lips to keep from adding to the dejection Fargo was feeling and kept his voice neutral, head down as he pulled a beignet from the box.

"Oh?"

Fargo smiled at him anyway. The former Director knew him better than anyone else and saw right through his facade.

"It's more complicated than it seemed. So leave their credit scores alone."

"Right. Complicated." Fargo was a smart guy, but sometimes he could be really fucking naive when it came to people. And Zane could think of more creative ways to screw with people's lives then mucking with their financials. And he'd learned a lot about covering his tracks since his last felony conviction.

Fingers picking at the crumbling tart, Fargo swallowed hard and kept his eyes down.

"She doesn't remember loving me."

The words were soft, pitched low enough so Zane could barely hear them and no one else in the infirmary would. There were matter of fact and stark in the silence that had sprung up between them. The unexpected confession stopped the breath in Zane's throat for a second before his brain caught up with more questions.

"But I thought she was starting to remember, before you guys even left Eureka?"

"She did, sort of." He shrugged with feigned casualness, but his eyes stayed glued to the crumbs in his hand and wouldn't look at Zane. "But what she remembered were just memoriesof events. The… emotions attached to them, the… I don't know… _experience_ , I guess just weren't there. It was more like remembering scenes from a movie she'd seen than her own life. We stayed together, hoping, eventually it would all come back. It hasn't yet. At this point, I doubt it ever will."

Fargo looked so lost and confused, Zane wanted to gather him up. Reassure him. Hold him until he felt better. But that wasn't the kind of relationship they had. Hell, that wasn't the kind of guy Zane even was. So he focused on his anger and resentment instead.

"It still doesn't give them the right to two-time you while you were unconscious."

"They weren't, not like that. She cares about me still and, believe it or not, Isaac and I are almost friends." He paused, eyes scrunching and lips pressed together while he thought about it. "Well, not enemies anymore, anyway."

He looked down at the lumps of pastry and fruit in his hand and a grabbed a napkin to clean it up.

"I've been watching them fight falling in love for six months. It's brutal. Holly is too kind and loyal and keeps trying to make it work with me. Parrish cares about her enough that he wants her to be happy. He's even stopped his pathetic attempts at flirting." The chuckle, dark and morbid, rumbled hollowly in his throat.

Zane bit the inside of his lip hard. He'd never expected to have anything in common with Parrish. Especially not something as unlikely as hiding their feelings so the person they cared about could be happy.

"Honestly, they've been trying hard not to give in. They're careful not to spend any time alone together. They never touch. They try to keep conversation strictly professional. She keeps trying to make things normal with me. And I've been selfish enough to let her."

"Fargo it's not selfish to want to be loved. To want the person that you love loves you back."

Fargo finally looked up, the confusion and doubt lining his face. "That's just it. At first it was all the excitement of having her back. Then it was the angst of realizing my feelings weren't reciprocated, it's taken me awhile to notice my feelings may not be exactly what I thought they were."

"Huh?" Zane's eyes stretched wide in surprise. Not exactly what he expected to hear.

"The truth is, she's not the Holly I remember, either. Then again things were so fast and complicated and so tied up with the Astreaus mission and the Matrix and grief of her death and exaltation of saving her… I have no idea what I was really feeling or who I was falling for."

Fargo looked him in the eye, gaze full of questions and, for a second, Zane's traitorous heart wanted to believe his friend meant more than that he’d been confused about who Holly was. That maybe he’d had feelings for someone else, too. Someone like Zane. Than his brain kicked his amygdala for being a romantic idiot.

"Just because you romanticized Holly, it doesn't mean your feelings weren't real. It's obvious to everyone how much you care."

Too obvious sometimes, but Zane kept that observation to himself.

"Yeah, well," Fargo rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and sank down a little more in the pillows behind him. "You know the old saying about letting what you love go free?"

Too well.

But Zane kept that answer to himself and just shrugged.

"I set Holly free before she left," his voice slurred a little and his eyes drifted half-way closed, fighting the exhaustion that was taking over.

"You what?" Zane panicked a little and had no idea why. Deep down he'd wanted Fargo free of her. But not like this. Swallowing the adrenaline, he kept his voice steady. "Why?"

"One of us deserved to be happy." Fargo's words slurred even more, his eyes shut completely and his breathing evened out into a sleepy rhythm.

Zane sat there watching the sleeping man longer than he should have and tried hard to convince himself nothing had changed. A hand on his shoulder made him jerk in surprise and he turned to see Allison standing there.

"He fell asleep again?"

"Yeah. That's normal right? He's suppose to sleep this much?"

"He's fine. His body was fighting the entire time we were searching for a cure. He'll feel tired and weak for a few days while his body and immune system recover. If he still had someplace in Eureka, I'd send him home to recover." She smiled. "I'd invite him back to our place but between, Jack, Jenna, Kevin, S.A.R.A.H. and Andy, it's not exactly restful."

She glanced over Zane and he self-consciously scrubbed at the three days growth on his cheeks.

"Speaking of home, you look like you could use some rest, yourself. Go home, Zane. Get some sleep."

#

Instead of taking Allison's advice, Zane found himself back in his office and calling Jo before he could think better of it.

When she answered, he swallowed back the apology on the tip of his tongue for not being the Zane she remembered. That water was well under the bridge.

Not that she gave him a chance to say anything at all.

"How's Fargo?"

"The Eureka grape vine stretches all the way to Nevada, huh?"

A short embarrassed pause hummed along the connection before she answered. "Carter called me to let me know what was going on."

"Jo…"

"Look, I know it's not healthy, okay? Let it go, Donovan. We're not talking about my unrequited issues, today. We're talking about yours." The direct hit made Zane wince and scrub a frustrated hand through his hair. He really wished he hadn't given into the drunken impulse to reassure her by revealing his own deep, dark secret.

"So, I'll ask again," she continued. "How. Is. Fargo?"

And there was the Security Chief Lupo voice. The one that even Zane had eventually learned not to fuck with.

"He's fine, physically. Tired, sore and a little weak but Allison says he'll be back to normal in a few days."

"Physically? How is he emotionally?"

Zane sighed and told her the whole story. Holly and Parrish and Fargo's resolute determination.

"Oh, Zane." Her soft words threw him a little. Sympathy and Lupo did not seem like a natural pairing. But if anyone would understand his ambiguous reaction, she would.

Slouching deeper in his chair and dropping his head into his hand, Zane let a little of his confusion slip out.

"What the fuck am I suppose to do now? I wanted this and now I feel like an asshole for it. I didn't want it this way. He's just pulled a Bogart in Casablanca and gave up the woman he loves so she can be happy. He's sick and vulnerable and I can't fucking take advantage of that." He growled and slammed his hand onto the desk. "Eureka has ruined me. Five years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about manipulating everyone in my way to get what I want."

"Poor, Zane, growing up sucks." All trace of sympathy was gone and Jo's voice now held nothing but sharp sarcasm. "I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. You're going to play the Louis Renault to his Rick and be his friend. Be there for him, the way you were there through the whole rest of his roller coaster relationship with Holly."

Zane sighed and nodded, knowing she was right, even if she couldn't see him agreeing.

Jo's voice dropped, compassion and empathy creeping back in.

"Whatever else you are or become, you're friends first. Don't screw that up by over-thinking everything else."

The call abruptly ended and Zane felt a small smile creep into his dark thoughts. Jo might surprise him occasionally, with softer feelings. But she always liked to have the last word.

Before he could decide on his next move, Dr. Calvin appeared at his door, all gangly self-importance and righteous indignation.

"Donovan, I need you to rescind the restriction on my drill live testing. I can't make any more progress with the simulations."

"Have you fixed the flaw in the shut down protocols?"

Calvin pressed his lips together and Zane had his answer before the man even spoke. "The error is a minor nuisance. The tremors last less than thirty seconds and have a limited range."

"I don't think Dr. Brown would agree it's a minor nuisance. Nor would her porcelain doll collection."

"Dr. Brown is a botanist. She wouldn't know scientific advancement if it bit her on the—"

"I wouldn't let Vincent hear you say that," Zane interrupted with a quelling glare. "He thinks her work with soybeans is brilliant. He won't hesitate to ban you from Cafe Diem."

Talking about food reminded Zane about the state of his pantry. And his house. He'd need to run a few errands before going back to the infirmary.

Dr. Calvin was still rambling about his tests but Zane didn't feel like listening to the pompous idiot anymore.

"No. No more testing until you can prove to me it's safe."

And, huh, when had he become the grown up? With a shrug he, turned his back on the sputtering scientist and decided to swing by Cafe Diem first.

#

Fargo was awake when Zane pushed the manual wheel chair up to his bed early that evening.

"What's that?" Fargo asked, brows furrowing behind his glasses when he frowned at it.

"It's an archaic manual wheel chair." Zane fought to keep his face straight and raised an eyebrow.

"I can see that." The wrinkled between his eyes deepened. "Why are you pushing it around the infirmary?"

Leaning over the chair, Zane whispered in a stage whisper, "I think Allison's afraid of having to explain to Carter what we managed to do with fifteen minutes, a screwdriver and a motorized chair. This is the only one she'd let me have. Get in."

"Huh? Where are we going?" But Fargo was already sliding his legs over to the side. Zane came around to help him keep his balance while Fargo shifted from bed to chair, happy in the automatic, unquestioning trust the smaller man gave him.

Even after five years, a federal pardon and everything he'd done for the town, very few people in Eureka actually trusted him.

"Allison said you're well enough to finish your recovery outside the infirmary. I'm here to spring you before she changes her mind." He started to push the chair while he talked.

"She said I'd need someone to keep an eye on me, just in case. I don't have anyone to ask or anywhere to go."

"You have me." Zane’s voice sounded huskier and softer than he'd intended. Zane forced his face blank and kept his gaze on the hall in front them when Fargo tilted his head back, almost resting it against Zane's stomach, and looked up at him.

The quiet look was serious and thoughtful before he pursed his lips and nodded.

"Okay." He tilted his face back to down and his cheeks stretched around his smirk. "But you better have satellite TV because I've been dying to see _Vampire Dynasty_ for months."

#

At Zane's house, Fargo waved off the chair and walked the short distance from the garage, through the small, open kitchen and collapsed on the couch. Most of the way, Zane hovered beside him, one hand in the small of his back to guide him and catch him, if need be.

"It's homier than I would have expected."

Zane glanced around the house he'd bought after his breakup with Jo and took in the golden wood, soft leather and warm colors. The kitchen gleamed on one side of them with its breakfast bar and dining nook. The hall to the guest suite was behind them, the oak staircase to loft the bedroom and home office on their other side. In front of them a large screen TV dominated the wall.

"What were you expecting? Milk crates and porn posters?"

"Nah. More of a cross between Sky Mall, Best Buy and the Sharper Image."

With a smirk, Zane picked up the remote and pressed a button at the top. The wall on either side of the TV slid away, revealing racks of carefully stacked electronics. Game stations, media players, stereo equipment and toys not available outside of Eureka, blinked and glowed and hummed like some post-modern sculpture.

Fargo laughed and let his head tip back against the couch. "Now that's more like it."

Zane grinned back and nodded toward the kitchen. "Just so you don't think this is completely altruistic, I told Vincent you were staying with me and he completely stocked the fridge, freezer and cupboards. With the really good stuff. Help yourself to whatever you want, since it's meant for you."

"Including the boysenberry fudge swirl ice cream?"

"He said it was your favorite. It's in the freezer. Though I was thinking dinner first. How about Thai chicken pizza?"

Fargo's eyes lit up and Zane knew he'd made the right suggestion. Then the expression dimmed, lines deepening back into the pale skin. "I, uh, I'm going to need help getting to the table."

Zan rolled his eyes. "We're guys, Fargo. We'll eat it right here with our feet on the coffee table while playing the new zombie apocalypse game."

"Yeah, sounds good." But Fargo’s voice still sounded down and Zane hated to see him looking exhausted and frustrated.

"Allison says it'll get better soon and you'll get back to normal." They both winced at the reminder of what 'normal' was, now, for Fargo. And that it was not the same anymore.

Fargo nodded his head, eyes closed. "Yeah, I know. Allison said a week, at most, before I'd be ready to report back to work."

"You really sure that's what you want to do?" Zane knows he shouldn't ask. That he has no right to ask. But he can't help it.

"I like what we've been doing. And I know it's hard to believe, but we actually work really well as a team. Even with all that unspoken tension. Now that it's all out in the open, maybe we'll work even better together." He shrugged. "If not, I can always transfer to another team."

Zane bit back on the urge to remind Fargo he could always come back home. He didn't even know if Fargo still thought of Eureka as home.

With that depressing thought, he picked up a game controller to distract them both from the gloomy atmosphere that had descended. He tossed it to Fargo and stood up.

"Get the Xbox warmed up, I'll reheat the pizza from Vincent. We'll gorge ourselves and kill some zombies."

Fargo nodded, a real smile stretching across his lips. "Sounds good."


	3. Part Three

**Thursday 4:39 pm - Zane's Living Room**

"This game is awesome! Die, zombies, die!"

Fargo bounced a little on the couch, eyes glued to the TV and controller held straight out in front of him like it was going to help him slaughter the undead attacking his animated avatar to hold it closer.

Zane nodded in agreement, lip caught between his teeth while he jammed buttons in an attempt to take out the enemy horde on the screen.

They'd been playing the game for three days now, off and on, while Fargo recuperated. In between marathons of game play and Fargo’s naps, they'd watched Real Genius (twice), Spaceballs, and Star Wars (but only the original trilogy.) He'd even sat through all the episodes of the R-rated vampire soap opera Fargo couldn't seem to get enough of.

Zane telecommuted with GD, cramming as much work as he could manage in his home lab into the ever shortening time when Fargo was sleeping.

Now, they were on the last stretch of the video game, for the third time, and Zane was pretty sure they were finally going to beat it. He was half tempted to tank it on purpose, force them to restart the level again. Because, somehow, the end of the game had become tied up in his head with the end of his time with Fargo. And he wasn't ready for that yet.

The past few days had been the most fun he'd had in so long he couldn't even remember. Not only because he was playing hooky from GD. It was just, there had been few people in his life who _got_ him. Kids his age weren't as smart as he was. The geniuses at MIT and the half dozen other schools he'd gotten thrown out of had thought he was a punk and a troublemaker.

Which, granted…

Fargo could keep up with him and respected him. Both for his genius and his sarcasm.

Since coming to Eureka, Zane had finally found a place he fit. But when Fargo was gone, it felt like one of the pieces in the chaotic puzzle of his life was missing. He wasn't ready to face that emptiness again, just yet. Not when what he really wanted was that piece to remain glued to his side. Permanently.

"On your six, Zane!"

He smirked a little and focused his full attention back on the game where a squad of zombies was bearing down on his character. He took aim and fired into the crowd. Fargo's avatar tossed a virtual mass explosive into the center of the undead mob and their characters ducked for cover. A second later, the screen exploded in graphic zombie atrocities and a series of cut scenes signaled their successful completion of the game.

Melancholy bullshit momentarily forgotten in the elation of virtual victory, Zane shouted along with Fargo and turned to exchange an enthusiastic high five.

Time slowed when Zane focused on Fargo's triumphant smile only inches away from his own lips. For three days, he'd tried not to dwell on how close they'd sat together on the couch. How intimate it had been sharing meals in front of the TV or having Fargo fall asleep with his head settled on Zane's shoulder.

But he couldn't ignore it now. Shoulders dug into each other's space. Arms, hips, thighs pressed tight. Even their feet, propped up on the coffee table, tilted inexorably toward each other until their little toes touched.

Fargo's eyes glowed, his skin had lost the lines of stress and pallor of exhaustion. He looked happy and loose for the first time in days. None of the sorrow or confusion clinging to him in the moment of exuberance.

Zane wanted to take credit for that. Wanted to take advantage of it. Wanted to wrap his hand around Fargo's head and sink his fingers into the soft hair and press their lips together.

Wanted to taste the root beer and Cheetos and boysenberry ice cream lingering on his tongue from their afternoon binge.

Zane knew he'd been staring too long. Been lost too long in his thoughts. Fargo let an uncomfortable laugh slip out, his brows drawing together and mouth dropping into an O.

"Zane?"

His name was a question. One he didn't want to answer. One he didn't even want Fargo to be asking.

But Zane's usual glibness deserted him and the deflecting words wouldn't come. Instead, he shook his head and forced a smile.

When his PDA chimed, he'd never been so happy to hear a sound in his life.

#

Zane jumped to his feet and moved toward the kitchen to answer the call, giving himself space to pace. He needed to be up. Away. Needed the motion to calm himself and hide all the bits and pieces he'd been too close to letting escape.

With deep, steadying breath, he checked the caller i.d. before putting the phone to his ear. "Carter, what's up?"

"We've got a little situation on the outskirts of town." The Sheriff was shouting over what sounded like thunder.

Zane frown and glanced out his own window to see sunshine and blue skies. Huh. He didn't remember any weather related experiments on the schedule for this week, but he hadn't really been paying that much attention. Then again, this was Eureka.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Earth tremors. A huge sink whole swallowing Dr. Brown's house. A giant, earthquake machine we can't turn off."

In the background, Zane could hear Henry correcting Carter. "Sonic drill, Jack. Sonic drill."

"That son of a bitch." Zane scrubbed a hand over his face and started considering creative ways to punish Calvin. "I'll be right there."

"Uh, actually, Henry said you should go to GD. Something about figuring out the override controls there while we work on… the something, something ignition here."

"Capacitor discharge ignition, Jack."

Zane would have smiled at the familiar byplay but his fury at Calvin was burning him from the inside out.

The bastard had deliberately disobeyed his directive. Had waited for him to be distracted and disregarded every safety protocol for his own glory. Zane's conscience gave a small twitch of apology for every instructor, supervisor and parole officer he ever had. No matter what rules he broke, though, Zane had never disregarded safety standards in favor of his own ego.

Tucking the PDA into his back pocket, he was already running through half a dozen possible fixes in his brain and gathering his keys and his jacket while he explained what was going on to Fargo.

"OK. I'll go with you."

Zane stopped abruptly, his brain and body falling still in surprise before turning to look at his friend. Fargo was on his feet and moving toward him, slowly but steady and with more energy than he'd shown at the beginning of the week.

"You're supposed to be recovering. Not running around Eureka." He knew there had to be a more logical argument, but at the moment, his panicked, unreasonable emotions were getting the best of him.

"I'm fine. I haven't even needed an extra nap today." He crossed the last few feet toward the door with a surety and bounce that had been lacking. "See. I didn't even get lightheaded. Let's go."

Disappointment lodged in Zane's throat for a second and he felt like a jerk. But he really wasn't ready for Fargo to be better. It wasn't that he wanted his friend to suffer, he wasn't a complete jerk. But a _better_ Fargo meant a _gone_ Fargo and Zane wanted to put that off as long as he could.

Fargo grinned, that boyish grin that usually preceded something completely outrageous.

"C'mon, it'll be fun." He patted Zane's shoulder and his hand lingered, a warm spot of connection between them. "We'll work together, listen to Carter mangle scientific explanations and save the world. Again. It'll be just like old times."

Zane swallowed hard, torn in so many directions he felt frozen in place. Then a faint tremor rolled under their feet, shaking the house and tossing them together, so that they had to cling to one another to stay upright.

"Uh oh. That's not good." Fargo murmured. Once again they were pressed close and now Zane knew what it was like to have his arms wrapped around the smaller man.

But there wasn't time for that. If they were already feeling effects at his house, things were getting out of control quickly. They needed to get to GD and fix things fast, before there wasn't a GD or a Eureka.

With a reluctant sigh, he let go of Fargo and opened the door. There'd be time to sort out what to do about his traitorous feelings later. Hopefully.

#

**Thursday 10:14 p.m. — Global Dynamics, Dr. Calvin's Lab**

Who said science geeks couldn't be adrenaline junkies? Zane and Fargo raced from station to station in Calvin's lab, shouting instructions and questions and encouragement while their fingers flew over keys and controls. Their bodies vibrated with excessive amounts of caffeine and sugar and the survival chemicals flowing through their veins as they tried, yet again, to find a way to shut down the out of control drill.

Zane's PDA rested on the console between him and Fargo, the open channel on speaker phone. Somewhere on the outskirts of Eureka, Henry and Carter were trying to get a functional digital transmission receiver on the drill. Why hadn't the dimwit checked the fucking obvious when the machine malfunctioned the first time? Now they were going to have to try shut down the unrestrained drill with a perfectly timed manual transmission to an untested receiver. _If_ the other's could even figure out how to get it on the drill to begin with.

As soon as this was over, Zane was going to find Dr. Ned Calvin and kill him. The man had uttered a terrified apology in the face of Zane's wrath then cowered in the corner while they'd gotten to work trying to figure out what went wrong. And how to fix it. Sometime between then and now, he'd slunk off while they'd frantically raced to find a solution, leaving the survival of the town up to them while he ran away.

From Henry's running commentary, Zane knew Carter was currently belly crawling his way across the violently shaking ground.

"Okay, Jack, a little to your left," Henry's resigned sigh had Zane grinning at Fargo, both knowing what was coming before the mechanic spoke again. "No, Jack, your _other_ left. That's it. Now follow the green wire…"

Zane held his breath while Henry walked the Sheriff through removing the old receiver and wiring up the new own. If they were wrong about the cause of the malfunction, or if Carter mis-wired the electronics, things could go very wrong, very quickly.

"Okay, Zane, it's in place and Jack is on his way back. It's now or never."

He glanced at Fargo, whose face was creased and concentration. For a long, slow, heartbeat their eyes met and held. Again, Zane saw the surprising determination and assuredness that was so rare and yet, somehow, so alluring in the former Director.

Then Fargo smirked a little. "Let's do this thing."

Zane laughed and hit his own sequence of buttons as Fargo's hands flew across the keyboard in front of him.

For a second after their fingers stilled, the rumbling of earth still vibrated through the open channel. Then it slowed and was quickly eclipse by Henry and Carter's excited shouts.

"It worked," Fargo whispered, looking a little awed. Then he grinned at Zane and shouted, "It worked!"

They gripped each other's shoulders and jumped around, shouting unintelligibly in elated relief.

And when they paused to catch a breath, for the third time that day, Zane found himself tangled up in Douglas Fargo. This time he didn't think. Didn't hold back. Didn't let good sense and self-preservation over-rule the primal need coursing through him.

One hand slipped from Fargo's shoulder to cradle the back of his neck. Zane had a faint glimpse of eyes round with shocked before his mouth claimed parted lips. His tongue swept along soft flesh, sank inside to finally, finally taste the man he'd been dreaming of for months. Explored and learned and relish every soft curve and sharp edge.

Until he realized Fargo's body was stiff and still like a statue in his arms. He slit his eyes open and saw the stunned expression still bright in dark eyes. His brain caught up with his instincts and kept him from making a complete fool of himself.

Carefully, he drew back, lips first then body then feet. His hands brushed down the front of Fargo's shirt, gently smoothing out the fabric while he forced a cocky grin.

"Sorry. It's been awhile since the last time someone at GD nearly brought about the apocalypse. Guess I'm still use to it being Jo next to me when we save the world. Reverted to the default celebration."

Fargo blinked slowly and seemed to be getting over the worst of the shock. Zane knew he had to get out of there. Had to get away before he couldn't hide behind flippant arrogance.

"You, okay finishing up?"

With eyebrows drawn together at the abrupt question, Fargo nodded. "Yeah. I think so.”

"Good, because I have to go find Calvin," Zane flashed teeth in a feral smile. "And redact him with extreme prejudice."

#

**Friday 8:53 a.m. — Global Dynamics**

 

Zane had completed every mind numbing task he could find. Including all of the redundant reports he'd been putting off pretty much since the day he took over as head of Section 5. Henry was going to be so proud. Or shocked into speechlessness. Either way, Zane would take it as a win.

He should be exhausted after a day of gaming, followed by an evening of scrabbling desperately to save lives and capped off with an all-nighter of paperwork. But the vat of caffeine and sugar laden drinks he'd mainlined had him wide awake. His head spun with a hundred different scenarios and possibilities but one thought kepts popping up over and over again.

He couldn't avoid Fargo forever.

The man was living with him, at least for the moment. And he'd already done his best to defray any damage the kiss might have caused. Zane knew that hiding much longer would undo any possibility of glossing over the whole thing.

Another quick hack in to the security feed — he was really going to have to tell the new Security Director about the holes in his system, one of these days - showed him Fargo was talking with Allison in the infirmary.

So with squared shoulders and his pounding heart hidden under an inch thick layer of disdain, Zane walked into the glass enclosed room with soft steps. Neither of them noticed him at first. Fargo was concentrating on Allison while she read over the information on her tablet. After a minute, she patted Fargo's shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"All of your tests are back to normal. You're all clear for regular activities."

The fierce expression smoothed out in relief and made Fargo look like a little kid for a second. After the standard warning to be careful, Allison turned away to help another doctor make sense of what ever test results they were deciphering.

The relief echoed in Zane and the knots in his body loosened with the knowledge that his friend was going to be fine. That he was fully recovered. Even if it meant watching Fargo leave.

For a second, Zane thought about running away again. Hiding in his office or one of his labs. But he'd had enough of that. And Fargo being gone wasn't going to hurt any less if he didn't actually say goodbye.

So he pulled his spine straight, pasted on a fake look of relaxation and strolled over to say hello, and probably, goodbye.

Fargo's smile got bigger when he saw Zane then dimmed a little with confusion and questions. No doubt remembering those last few moments in Calvin's lab before Zane ran like a coward.

"Hey, so you're ready to go back to work, huh?" Zane patted his arm, keeping the contact light and brief. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, Allison said it doesn't look like they'll be any lasting side effects so I'm good to go."

"How long…" Zane gulped hard at the petulant question and forced his voice lighter when he tried again. "When are you heading out? We got time for a proper send off or do you have to leave right away?"

Instead of an answer, he got a silent Fargo piercing him with an intense look that felt like it could read his soul.

God, Zane hoped not.

"You kissed me." The words were fierce, caught somewhere between an accusation and a question.

Zane looked away, trying hard to keep his composure. To keep from fucking up the best friendship he'd ever had because he couldn't accept when enough was good enough.

"Yeah. You know, the excitement and the adrenaline—"

"You almost kissed me on your couch. Before Carter called." This time, the uncertainty was a little clearer. Zane could lie. Or try to. It's what he should do. What he'd done in the past. But, he really wasn't that guy anymore. And Fargo deserved to know at least _someone_ cared about him, even if it wasn't the girl of his dreams.

Zane forced his body to relax and tucked his thumbs into his jeans.

"You noticed that, huh?" He let his lips curl in amusement. "I don't suppose you'll buy the adrenaline and excitement excuse for that one either?"

Fargo's eyes narrowed and his frown took on an angry edged that lined his face with frustration.

Zane gave up all pretense of hiding his pride behind the cockiness and let the mask slip. Let the sincerity and vulnerability show.

His hands slid out his pockets and turned, palms up, fingers spread.

"Look, Fargo. You're my friend. My best friend. Anything I feel for you beyond that, it isn't worth risking that friendship. I don't expect… you don't have to…" Zane felt lost and completely out of his depth. Even with Jo, he'd never put everything on the line. He'd always held a piece of himself back.

Frustrated at his own inability to fix everything, he let his hands drop to his sides and whispered, "Don't let this break everything."

The lines of Fargo's anger smoothed out into a blank mask that was almost more painful to see. Zane would rather see _some_ emotion, some indication of how Fargo felt. Give him a clue how to fix it.

"I romanticized Holly while she was stuck in the Matrix. I loved her because she was brave, smart, creative, loyal, honest, willing to take risks and not give a damn what anyone thought."

Zane's guts twisted and he wished he could block out Fargo's words. Didn't want to hear him sing his girlfriend, _ex-girlfriend's_ praises.

Fargo took a deep breath and raised his head. The blank expression faded into determination when his dark eyes collided with Zane's. "Those traits remind you of anyone else we know?"

"What are you saying?" Zane was surprised to hear how hoarse his voice was. But his whole body was poised and tight and focused on Fargo.

Fargo's eyes lowered slightly, his lashes veiling them, a tinge of pink crept into his cheeks and his shoulders hunched up a little closer to his shoulders.

"I'm saying maybe Holly wasn't who I thought she was because my image of her got tangled up with who you were, right in front of me the whole time I was pining. I was surprised, yesterday. Shocked, really. Not because it felt wrong." His nose twitched, and his eyes slid down to stare at his hands. "Because it felt right."

Everything unknotted inside of Zane at once. Not out of reach and unrequited, after all. The smile stretched his lips and he shifted closer, easing into Fargo's space.

"Yeah?"

Fargo lifted his eyes, a flashing glance raking over Zane, taking in the smile and relief and pleasure he wasn't bothering to hide.

"Yeah."

Fargo barely had time to breathe out the word before Zane was crowding in and capturing his lips again.

This time, Fargo's surprise slid away a lot faster and his stunned stillness shifted into whole hearted participation. He pushed up onto his toes, curved his hands around Zane's biceps and took over the kiss. His lips pushed at Zane, demanding and pressing until his tongue licked in, caressing every millimeter.

Zane moaned and pressed closer, enjoyed being consumed as he let Fargo take the lead. Douglas. After a kiss like this, he should really call the man by his first name.

He had no idea how long they'd gotten lost in each other and didn't really care. But the sound of a strangled gasp behind them reminded Zane they were still in the middle of GD's infirmary. And that reminded him that one of them wasn't going to be there for long.

"Zane and _Fargo?_ " This time he recognized Carter's surprised voice, quickly followed by Allison shushing him.

He eased back and let his lips drift along Doug's neck before nuzzling behind his jaw.

"So," he murmured, hoping to keep his desperation to a minimum when he whispered in Doug's ear. "Do you think you could convince that job of yours to let you take vacation more than once every six months?"

Doug twitched and pulled back but kept his hand gripping Zane's arms. The smile was slow but still a little unsure.

"Yeah, I think so. The hard part will be convincing Henry to let us have days off at the same time."

"Huh?" Zane knew the words should make sense, but he couldn't seem to understand what Douglas was trying to say.

"Henry wants to spend more time with Grace. He's creating an Assistant Director position and he asked me if I'd take it. I accepted."

"Good. I've always had a fantasy about seducing my boss."

Doug raised an eyebrow and Zane kissed him hard and fast, partly to cut off the smart ass comment he knew was coming, partly to hear Carter make that shocked sound behind him.

Mostly, though, because he could. And because he intended to keep doing it for a long time.


End file.
